Jack 1939

Tapped by President Franklin Roosevelt to travel to Europe and learn what the Nazis are actually planning, 22-year-old John F. Kennedy, a sickly and unpromising second son of Roosevelt's Ambassador to Britain, becomes embroiled in the President's high-stakes effort to stop the flow of German money that is influencing the 1940 U.S. election.

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I think this book is fabulous!!! I don't believe it is meant to be historically correct, but rather just another view of how things went for Jack in that time. It is, in my mind, a clever concept that makes for an entertaining read in that it presents a situation that makes you go . . . h'mmmm! I think if you read fiction, and expect nothing but a straight account that is totally factually based, then you may want to consider reading history itself, except for the fact that it is rarely factual, but based on the writers interpretation of the facts, and therefore usually quite dull. Lighten up when you read this and you'll have a really enjoyable experience!

The historical visit by Kennedy to pre-World War 2 Europe isn't convincingly developed in this thriller. Worse, Kennedy comes off as a "bozo" whose life is saved repeatedly by the brains, fast action and sacrifice of other 'operatives'. His 'love' interest with the femme-fatale is about as entertaining as a pair of dogs in heat. Can most people learn Morse code in 30 minutes? Don't read this book ... wait for the inevitable movie. It will be better.

Notices

Violence:The "White Spider" kills several people with a knife and then cuts his 'mark' in their bodies. The main character, Jack Kennedy, shoots the "White Spider". A truck is overturned and the driver and guards killed. A car catches fire and the occupants are burned to death.